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A new US study suggests that a common food additive, found in many products, such as frozen meats, crackers and fried foods, could have adverse effects on the immune system's response to influenza and worsen the immune system. severity of symptoms.
According to the study presented Sunday at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics from April 6 to 9, tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ), widely used to stabilize fats in processed foods, affects T cells, a vital component of the immune system and weakens the immune response to the flu.
In their study of mice, the researchers suggested that tBHQ mice had a weakened immune response to influenza, the additive suppressing the function of two types of T cells: helper T cells and killer T cells . In the end, this led to more serious symptoms during a subsequent influenza infection.
When a person is infected with the flu virus, helper T cells direct other parts of the immune system and help coordinate an appropriate response, while killer T cells track infected cells and eliminate them. from the body.
In their experiments, the researchers found that mice with a tBHQ-enriched diet activated both T helper cells and killer T cells at a slower rate, slowing the clearance of the virus.
Robert Freeborn, a fourth-year PhD student at Michigan State University, said in an email to Asharq Al-Awsat: "This study highlights the need to replace this additive with alternatives that do not affect the immune response."
Until then, Freeborn advised people to adopt a low-fat diet and reduce their consumption of processed snacks.
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